Half Moon Bay
by Count Morningstar
Summary: Part 3 of the Noir Mask Trilogy. The mask has been broken, and after years of torment Marie can finally live a normal life. But before she and Lisa can move on, there's a lot of healing to be done between them. The scars that the two girls have run deep, but the Legendary Pokemon that's Darkrai's opposite may help those scares to heal. Rated M for a good reason.
1. Bringer of Dreams

**Introduction:** If you clicked on this story hoping to find a love story between Cesselia and Darkrai, I'm afraid you're out of luck. Anyway, this is the third and final part of my Noir Mask Trilogy. Marie's life as Noir Mask may have ended, but both she and Lisa have a lot of healing to do in regards to their relationship. And that's what this story is about. This is actually going to be a little different from stories I've done in the past, but I see it as a challenge.

The title of this story, _Half Moon Bay_, is also the title of an instrumental piece by musician, Dan Fogelberg. It's a beautiful piano piece that he made to go with his song, _When You're Not Near Me_.

By the way, this is a Yuri story, and a couple of the later chapters are going to be rather "steamy". So if you don't like reading that kind of stuff, now is the time to turn back.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

Chapter 1: Bringer of Dreams

The sun shined down on an old dirt road in the Sinnoh Region as Lisa Flare rode over it on her Pokemon, Rapidash. She was not alone on the back of the fiery cream-colored steed. Riding with Lisa was the young woman that was the love of her life, Marie Dantes. Though while Lisa was in love with Marie, she was not sure if the feeling was mutual. Thirteen years before, Marie had been framed for a crime she did not commit by her older cousin Andre and sent to a harsh desert prison. During that time, Marie tried to escape, but Lisa had foolishly listened to Andre and had worked with the police to lure Marie into a trap.

As a result, Marie ended up spending two years in the desert prison known as Scorch Gate, where her only way out was an offer to join the criminal organization, Team Rocket. For over eleven years Marie served in Team Rocket as the elite phantom agent, Noir Mask. And during that time Lisa had encountered Marie a few times, never suspecting who Noir Mask really was. But it was during their last encounter when the truth about everything finally came out. Andre had been brought to justice, and Lisa finally told Marie how she truly felt about her, which was something that Lisa thought she would never get the chance to do.

After that incident, Marie had agreed to go Lisa on her journey. Lisa knew that Marie was still angry with her for what she did all those years ago, but was grateful that Marie was at least willing to give her another chance. Lisa had decided that they should travel around Sinnoh for a while, and the first destination she chose was a little seaside town known as Half Moon Bay. The town was said to be an excellent place to relax, and Lisa thought that Marie could use a great deal of relaxation after all that she had been through. The little town was still two or three days away, but the road to it was certainly a peaceful one.

The sea was to the left of the old dirt road that Lisa and Marie were taking. Though the road was not on the beach, the salty smell of the sea wafted on the breeze. To the couple's right were nothing but rolling hills and meadows. Lisa looked up at the sky and noticed that the sun was starting to set.

"I think we should set up camp somewhere for the night." Lisa said to Marie. "See any place you like?"

Marie looked around until her eyes settled on a tall tree on a nearby hill.

"Under that tree looks nice." Marie said, pointing to the location.

"Okay, sounds good." Lisa agreed.

In a few moments Rapidash trotted over to the small hill and stopped near the tree. The couple dismounted and Lisa called Rapidash back to its Pokeball. Marie meanwhile set her bag down and sat against the tree, removing her sunglasses in the process. It was then that Lisa took a good look at Marie. Lisa was troubled how pale her blond companion had become, and also noticed that she was even a little thin. But what troubled Lisa most were Marie's eyes. Marie's violet eyes had a sort of deadness to them. They looked like the eyes of someone who had given up on life.

"So… have you ever been to Sinnoh before?" Lisa asked in an attempt to make conversation, something that there had not been a lot of during the whole trip.

"A couple times on missions." Marie answered somewhat indifferently.

"Oh…" Lisa replied. "What, a… what did you do?"

"I didn't steal any Pokemon if that's what you're asking." Marie answered with a hint of anger in her voice. "Most of my missions were to investigate and if necessary punish other members of Team Rocket or deal with criminals who would try to swindle the organization. It was actually a small comfort to me that I was punishing thieves instead of becoming one."

"Oh Marie, I'm sorry." Lisa said upon realizing the colossal mistake she had just made. "I shouldn't have brought it up. I know how much you hated working for Team Rocket."

Suddenly one of the Pokeballs on Lisa's belt opened up, and out came a long-eared creature that resembled something like a cross between a cat and a fox. It had large black eyes and most of its fur was red. Though its tail was covered in bushy yellow fur, and it also had long yellow fur around its neck and a tuft of yellow fur on its forehead.

"Flare!" the Pokemon cried with a cute smile on its face.

"Oh, your Flareon." Marie observed. "I never really took the time to notice how adorable it is when I saw it in our little battle in Lilycove."

Flareon suddenly noticed Marie and gave her a cautious look.

"Don't be shy little one." Marie said with a warm smile. "I won't hurt you."

After a moment, Flareon went over to Marie and sniffed her hand. Deciding that Marie was not a threat, Flareon got up on Marie's lap. Lisa smiled at the site of Marie petting Flareon. It was good to see that even after all the time that had passed and all the hardships she had endured, Marie was still the same kind and gentle girl that Lisa had always known.

"Glad to see you two hit it off." Lisa told Marie.

"When did you get your little friend here?" Marie asked as she continued to pet Flareon.

"I got her as an egg while I was in Johto." Lisa answered. "I ended up spoiling her right away."

"Yes, and I'm sure you evolved her into a Flareon the first chance you got." Marie assumed.

"You know how much I like Fire Pokemon." Lisa pointed out. "Why don't I go fix us all something to eat while you two get better acquainted?"

"Not a bad idea." Marie agreed.

With that, Lisa grabbed a few things from her bag and went to go prepare their small dinner. As Lisa prepared the food, she kept cursing to herself about her mistake of asking Marie about what she did during her time as Noir Mask. It even made Lisa remember the first time she encountered Marie as her alter ego, and of some of the terrible things she said to her and thought about her. After a few moments Lisa finished preparing a bowl of Pokemon food and some sandwiches for both herself and Marie. As Lisa began walking back over to the tree with the food in hand, she was a little startled to see that two other Pokemon had joined Marie and Flareon.

One was a bipedal fox-like creature that stood at about five feet tall. Its fur was mostly grey and it had a pointed snout and ears. Thick black fur covered its upper torso, and atop its head was a thick mass of red fur that was tied back in a ponytail by a large teal orb. Lisa knew this creature as one of Marie's most loyal Pokemon, Zoroark. The other Pokemon hovered in the air, and its body was black and tattered and had an almost hourglass shape. Atop its head the shadowy Pokemon had white hair that resembled a billowing flame and revealed only a single light-blue eye. Around its neck was a red growth that resembled a beaded necklace. Lisa knew this creature as Maire's other most loyal Pokemon, the legendary Darkrai.

"Is dinner ready?" Marie asked upon noticing Lisa standing there with the food.

"Uh, yeah." Lisa answered after getting over her initial surprise. "I hope sandwiches are okay."

"You don't have to be afraid." Marie told her, realizing what had startled Lisa. "Zoroark and Darkrai are very nice. They're just misunderstood."

Suddenly Zoroark went over to Lisa and looked her in the eye. After a few moments Zoroark licked Lisa in the face a few times.

"See? He likes you." Marie told her.

"That's good to know." Lisa said with a nervous smile. "Let's eat!"

* * *

A few hours later, night had fallen and Lisa woke up to find that Marie was not in her sleeping bag. Concerned that something might have happened, Lisa quickly got up to look for her. It did not take Lisa long to find Marie standing and looking out over the ocean.

"Hey." Lisa called as she went over, getting Marie's attention. "Can't sleep?"

"No, and it's not the first time." Marie sighed. "I haven't had a decent night's sleep in a long time. I do sleep, it's just that I usually have bad dreams and wake up a lot."

"…Is it because of Darkrai?" Lisa asked in a tone of concern.

"At first it was." Marie answered. "Though Darkrai didn't mean it. Contrary to what a lot of people think, Darkrai doesn't cause nightmares on purpose. It can't fully control its powers. Anyway, after I had accidentally caught Darkrai, its powers became more contained I guess. I still have nightmare, but I think all those are because of fear, fear of being sent back to Scorch Gate or something else. But whatever the reason, I don't really sleep anymore."

"So… you haven't had a decent sleep in thirteen years?" Lisa asked with a mixture of worry and surprise.

"Yeah. And I have to admit that I really am tired." Marie confirmed.

Just as Lisa was about to put her hand on Marie's shoulder, they suddenly both noticed a light zooming over the ocean. The light suddenly stopped and zoomed towards them. In moments, hovering before the couple was a swan-like creature with blue body and a gold face and underside. On the sides of it head were two golden ornaments that looked like crescent moons. Its glowing pink wings resembled the rings of a planet, having two on its sides and a third on its back that was probably meant to serve as a form of propulsion.

"What is it?" Lisa asked in a whisper.

"I think… that's Cresselia." Marie said in awe. "From what I've read, she's said to be the opposite of Darkrai."

Cresselia looked at Lisa for a moment and then looked at Marie. Marie stared at the lunar Pokemon deeply, and Cresselia looked back. After what seemed like several minutes, Marie gasped and fell to her knees. Cresselia quickly zoomed away over the water after that.

"Are you okay?" Lisa asked with a very concerned expression.

"I'm fine." Marie answered. "It felt like… something washed over me for a second."

"Did Cresselia do something to you?" Lisa asked.

"I don't know, but… I'm actually feeling very sleepy right now." Marie told her.

"C'mon then, let's get you to bed." Lisa said before leading Marie back to the campsite.

As soon as they got back to camp, Lisa suddenly grabbed Marie's sleeping bag. She then started to zip the bag to her own.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Marie asked.

"Oh, well I thought you might sleep better if… you had someone next to you." Lisa said nervously. "But if you don't want to…"

"No, no, that… that might just work." Marie said with a blush. "I mean it's worth a try, right?"

"Yeah, right." Lisa agreed, glad that she had come up with a good excuse to justify her actions.

Lisa finished putting the bags together and the two girls got in. Marie was quite nervous, especially when Lisa suddenly cuddled up next to her. But before Marie knew it, both she and Lisa drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Not a bad start off I don't think. I think most of the story was a little too much of a recap, but other than that I'm happy with how it turned out. Cresselia will appear again later on in the story, by the way.

Please review and let me know what you think.


	2. The Moon Hunter

**Author's Note:** This chapter ended up being a little longer than I thought because of the battle in it. It's not a good versus evil battle. Though this chapter does introduce this story's villain.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

Chapter 2: The Moon Hunter

_Marie found herself lying on the ground in a dark wasteland, her mask was broken and her Team Rocket uniform was tattered and torn. Surrounding her were the people she despised most in the world, her cousin Andre, the short fat man who was the warden of Scorch Gate Prison, her fellow inmate Sharon, Giovanni, and her old drill instructor, a large black man with an eye patch named Stone. They all stood over Marie with wicked smiles on her face. But suddenly a blast of flames came and vaporized all of Marie's enemies. The flames soon vanished and Marie found she was untouched._

_Marie soon saw what had created the storm of flames. Standing a few feet away was a large brown lion-like creature with a cream-colored underside. Its paws were white and it had a pair of large spiked grey plates on the sides of its back. In between those plates like a cape was something that looked like billowing grey smoke. The creature had an almost mask-like face with a three-pointed yellow plate on its forehead, red plates on the sides, and a white mustache-like plate on the front of its snout. Marie recognized this creature as the Legendary Pokemon, Entei._

_Marie quickly noticed someone riding on Entei's back, a young woman with long raven hair and emerald eyes. It was Lisa of course, and she was wearing a simple white dress. Entei walked over to Marie, and Lisa reached down and offered her hand to Marie. After a moment Marie took it and she was pulled onto Entei's back. Upon getting on behind Lisa, Marie suddenly found that the remains of her uniform were replaced by a white dress similar to Lisa's._

_Lisa looked back and smiled at Marie, and in seconds Entei began to rush forward at incredible speed. Very quickly the scenery suddenly changed. The dark foreboding wasteland had been replaced by a lush green meadow under a shining sun. There were red and while flowers as far as the eye could see, and a sweet scent wafted through the air. Entei soon came to a very tall tree with lush green leaves._

_The beast of fire stopped by the tree and sat down, allowing Lisa and Marie to get off. Lisa took Marie's hand and guided her over to a large bed with a finely crafted wooden headboard and clean white sheets. Lisa got onto the bed and smiled at Marie, at the same time patting the opposite side of the bed. Marie got on after a moment and got next to Lisa. Lisa soon cuddled up to Marie, and Marie found that she felt happy and at peace, something she had not felt in a very long time._

* * *

Marie slowly fond herself waking up in the large sleeping bag she had gotten into with Lisa the night before. She quickly found though that Lisa was not next to her.

"Good morning." Lisa's voice called, causing Marie to sit up. Lisa was crouched down a few feet away preparing something to eat. "Did you sleep well?"

"Uh, yes I did actually." Marie answered, finding that she felt refreshed. "What time is it?"

"Well, it's about noon." Lisa revealed. "So I guess saying 'good morning' isn't quite accurate."

"Noon?" Marie repeated with a look of surprise.

"Hey, you don't have to be embarrassed." Lisa told her. "I've done that a couple of times myself."

"I'm not embarrassed." Marie assured her. "It's just… I've never slept that soundly in a very long time…. You didn't try to wake me up?"

"Well you told me last night that you haven't had a goodnight's sleep in a long time. So I thought it'd be better to let you sleep." Lisa explained. "Besides, you just looked so cute."

Lisa's comment caused Marie to blush a little. She moved her shoulder and suddenly winced in pain.

"Are you okay?" Lisa asked in a tone of concern.

"Yeah, I'm just a little stiff." Marie assured her.

"Well that's no good." Lisa said as she suddenly stood up from where she was and went over to Marie. She then got down on her knees behind Marie and started giving her a backrub, causing Marie to moan slightly with pleasure. "Does that feel better?"

"Yes, it does." Marie answered as Lisa continued her work.

"You're so tense up here." Lisa commented. "But then when you think about the kind of life you've had for the last thirteen years I'm not surprised."

Marie found herself greatly enjoying the backrub that Lisa was giving her. Suddenly Marie began to feel herself becoming aroused. And then something in the back of her mind caused her to back away from Lisa.

"Um, excuse me." Marie said as she quickly stood up and walked away. Lisa as Marie walked off.

A few moments later, Marie stopped on the small beach along the ocean. Suddenly Zoroark and Darkrai emerged from their Pokeballs. The two Pokemon both gave Marie a look of concern.

"I'm fine you two." Marie said with a reassuring smile. "I guess… I'm still a little conflicted about how I really feel about Lisa. For a long time I've hated her for what she did to me all those years ago. But what happened in Lilycove with Andre has shown me that I'm still in love with her. That I have been for all these years."

Zoroark tilted his head a bit at Marie while Darkrai narrowed its eyes. This showed Marie that she had their full attention and wanted to hear more.

"You know… I think I started to realize how I really felt about Lisa when she first left on her journey to become a Pokemon Trainer." Marie continued. "But… I think fully realized how I really felt about Lisa when she betrayed me to the police. Because I was so hurt by what she did…. Sounds crazy, right?"

Zoroark responded by making a short enthusiastic barking noise that told Marie that the monster fox didn't think what Marie said was odd. Darkrai didn't seem to make any visible response. It had always been a little hard for Marie to tell what Darkrai was thinking sometimes.

"I guess people fall in love differently." Marie sighed. "But my problem is that I'm not sure if I can get past all the anger I've felt towards Lisa all these years. And until I can… I don't think I'll be able to get close to her."

* * *

Meanwhile in a dark ally in Veilstone City in Sinnoh, a short slender man with a wiry mustache wearing a plum colored suit and green tie looked nervously at his watch. The man he was supposed to meet was running late. Suddenly the man heard a large footstep, causing him to flinch.

"Yew look a little jumpy there Trent." A voice said from the darkness of the ally. "I hope I didn't startle ya."

"You're late Trapper!" the man known as Trent scolded. "I've been waiting here for ten minutes!"

"Hey now, I'm here aren't I?" the man known as Trapper said as he stepped out of the shadows. "Yew know Trapper Jack never fails to deliver. Besides, this ain't the first time I've been late."

Standing before Trent was a very large and imposing man standing at seven feet tall. He was very muscular and had a beard of stark white hair on his face. Running down the left side of Trapper's face were two long scars. He wore a brown leather vest and no shirt, which showed off his muscular physique, as well as the three diagonal scars on his chest that looked like claw marks of some kind. The rest of Trapper Jack's outfit consisted of slightly baggy khaki pants, black mud-covered boots, a pair of leather wristbands, and a large brown hat.

"Look, I'm just nervous because the cops are starting to crack down harder on operations like ours." Trent explained. "Ever since Team Rocket started to crumble it's been chaos."

"What're yew talkn' 'bout Trent?" Trapper asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I guess you wouldn't have heard from whatever hole you've been hunting in." Trent observed. "But almost a week ago, Giovanni was arrested."

"Well dang! How'd the hell that happen?" Trapper asked in surprised.

"All I know is that the cops caught him making a shady deal in Lilycove with some guy who killed his father and got his cousin sent off to jail." Trent answered hurriedly. "Look, I don't know the details! All I know is that doing business has gotten a lot more dangerous. Now do you have the Lapras my boss asked for?"

"Yew got my money?" Trapper asked back.

"Yeah, here! Count it on your own time!" Trent said impatiently as he threw Trapper a black briefcase. "Now do you have it or not?"

"It's in a cage at the docks." Trapper said with a grin as he examined the large amount of money in the briefcase. "Should be easy fer yew to find. Yew got any other jobs fer me since I'm here?"

"Well there is one." Trent replied. "Lately my boss has been interested in the Legendary Pokemon, Cresselia. If you could get that Pokemon, I'm sure my boss would be willing to pay you ten times what's in that case. But I doubt that even you could catch a Pokemon like Cresselia."

"Hey, ain't nothin' on this planet that Trapper Jack can't catch!" Trapper declared with a smug expression. "If yer boss wants a Cresselia, I'll get ya one. In fact I think I know a place where I can find one real quick."

"Fine, go nuts! If you catch it, contact me. But for now I'm out of here!" Trent said nervously before rushing off.

"Cresselia huh?" Trapper chuckled to himself. "This hunt should be fun."

* * *

Meanwhile, Lisa and Marie were back out on the road riding Rapidash. There had been little conversation between the two of them since the awkward incident from earlier in the day. And the tension had started to become a little uncomfortable.

"Hey, Marie?" Lisa finally spoke up. "I'm sorry about… what happened earlier. You know I wasn't, you know… trying to get any off you, right?"

"Yeah, I know." Marie told her. "I just… wasn't fully prepared. Not that I thought you were trying to… you know…. But if it makes you feel better, my shoulders aren't stiff anymore."

"Good." Lisa said nervously.

As they continued forward on Rapidash, two young men suddenly stepped out from behind a nearby tree and got in their path. One of the young men had short brown hair and hazel eyes, and wore a light-blue t-shirt and jeans. The other had short blond hair and brown eyes, and wore a red long-sleeved shirt and black jeans. Lisa stopped Rapidash when the two young men appeared.

"Look what we have here Troy." The brown-haired young man said to friend. "A couple of young ladies riding a Rapidash. That's kind of a rare sight, isn't it?"

"It certainly is Malcolm." The blond known as Troy replied. "And I think it's a safe bet that they're Pokemon Trainers."

"We are actually." Lisa told them. "I'm Lisa, and the girl with me is Marie. We're on our way to Half Moon Bay right now."

"That's cool." Troy told them. "But before you head on, we can't let you leave without having a battle with us. What do you say? Think you ladies can take us?"

"You up for it Marie?" Lisa asked.

"…Yeah, I think so." Marie answered after a moment. After a few moments, Lisa and Marie dismounted Rapidash and stood ready to face Malcolm and Troy.

"I'll go first." Lisa announced. "Go Phoenix!"

Coming out of Lisa's thrown ball was a six-foot tall humanoid creature with a red bird-like face and body. It had grey talons for hands, yellow feet, and long blond hair-like feathers that split down the middle like a V.

"A Blaziken, nice." Malcolm commented. "In that case, go Empoleon!"

Emerging from Malcolm's ball was a large penguin with wings rimmed with blue blades. It also had a blue sort of collar with a piece that extended down the length of its torso, giving one the impression that it was wearing a tuxedo. Extending up from its upper beak was a trident-like crest that made the bird look like it was wearing a sort of crown.

"Go!" Marie called as she threw out her own Pokeball.

Emerging from the thrown ball was a large black dog with a red snout and underside. In place of ears the dog had two long white curved back horns, and it had a slim tail that ended in a point like a demon's. On its back were white bands that gave the impression of ribs, and there was another white band around its neck with a small skull on front like a collar.

"A Houndoom." Troy observed. "Looks like you ladies are a couple of those trainers who train only Fire Pokemon. Well then, go Politoed!"

Emerging from Troy's ball was a large light-green frog-like creature with pink cheeks and a single curled hair on its head. Its stomach was yellow and had a green spiral pattern on it.

"This battle should be a piece of cake." Malcolm said smugly.

"Type advantage isn't everything you know." Lisa pointed out. "Use Bulk-Up Phoenix!"

Phoenix cried out and began to glow with a blazing red aura. Veins began to bulge on the Fire Pokemon's arms and legs.

"Trying to beef up your Blaziken's attack and defense, huh?" Malcolm observed. "Well it won't work! Use Hydro Pump Empoleon!"

"Quick, intercept!" Marie commanded.

Just as Empoleon shot out a powerful stream of water from its beak at Phoenix, Houndoom leapt in the way and took the attack. But when the attack stopped, Zoroark was standing in Houndoom's place snickering.

"Hey, what?" Malcolm asked in surprise. "Did you switch out?"

"I never said I sent out Houndoom." Marie pointed out with a smirk.

"Don't you get it man? That Zoroark used its Illusion ability to fake us out." Troy explained to Malcolm. "Don't worry though, I'll handle this. Politoed, use Bubble Beam!"

Politoed fired off a barrage of bubbles at Zoroark. Zoroark stood and took the attack to protect Phoenix.

"Charge through the beam and use Night Slash!" Marie commanded.

Zoroark roared and ran through the barrage of bubbles as its claws began to glow with a red light. When it got close enough to the frog Pokemon, Zoroark slashed it across the chest. Politoed was knocked back a few feet as a result.

"Dang!" Troy exclaimed. "That was gutsy!"

"You're gonna pay for that!" Malcolm declared. "Empoleon, attack Zoroark with Aqua Jet!"

Empoleon suddenly jumped down and glided across the ground as its body became shrouded in water. The armored penguin came at Zoroark like a torpedo.

"Oh no you don't!" Lisa exclaimed. "Phoenix, attack Empoleon with Blaze Kick!"

Phoenix jumped up in the air and extended its right leg forward. Its foot set on fire as it made contact with Empoleon, striking the penguin only seconds before it hit Zoroark and knocked it off course. In moments, both Empoleon and Politoed got back on their feet.

"Let's finish this Phoenix!" Lisa declared. "Hit Empoleon with Sky Uppercut!"

'Let's end this too Zoroark!" Marie commanded. "End Politoed with Night Daze!"

Phoenix charged at Empoleon with its right talon curved into a fist. The fist began to glow with a blue light as it punched Empoleon in the jaw, knocking it a few feet in the air. When Empoleon hit the ground it was out cold. At the same time as Phoenix attacked Empoleon, Zoroark's eyes began to glow with a blue light as a powerful red aura that cracked the ground. The monster fox quickly brought up its arms and swung them back down, sending a wave of red energy at Politoed. The frog Pokemon was knocked out cold by the blast.

"Whoa, you two are hot stuff!" Troy declared as both he and Malcolm called back their respective Pokemon. "Say, maybe you ladies would like to go out with us."

"We're flattered, but we're…" Lisa began to say.

"We're a couple, Lisa and I." Marie quickly finished. "A close couple, if you catch my drift."

"Oh…" Malcolm and Troy said together.

"Um, we'll be off now." Lisa said to the two crest fallen young men. "Thanks for the battle."

With that, Lisa and Marie got back on Rapidash and rode off at a gentle trot. Both Troy and Malcolm just stood there for a moment and sighed as they left.

"So… we're a couple?" Lisa asked Marie in a hopeful tone.

"More or less." Marie told her. "Plus telling them that was the fastest way to get rid of them."

"Well, in any case we make a pretty good team." Lisa observed.

"Yeah, we actually do." Marie agreed. "Thanks for protecting Zoroark back there."

"Anytime." Lisa replied with a smile.

The two rode in silence for some time after that. Marie soon became lost in thought about both the battle and the dream she had had the night before. She thought about how Lisa protected her in that dream and how Lisa had Phoenix protect Zoroark. Marie also thought about how at peace she felt in that dream with Lisa, and she began to wonder if she was still truly mad at Lisa for what she did all those years before.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Trapper Jack was just a villain I pulled out of the air for this story. And I thought that without a villain of some kind this would be a pretty thin story. Anyway, Trapper Jack is your basic big game hunter type villain, which is the kind of antagonist you see a lot of in Pokemon. He ended up being from down south when I pictured him. One of the hardest parts of this chapter was writing his accent. Incidentally, there will be another villain showing up in the next chapter, though she is somewhat minor but still significant.

The other hard part of this chapter was writing the battle. Double battles were a good addition to the games, but boy if they aren't hard to write. So I'm sorry if the battle in this chapter wasn't the best one you've read. Another hard part of it was coming up with Lisa and Marie's opponents and deciding what Pokemon they would use. It's safe to say though that Troy and Malcolm won't be showing up again.

Please review and let me know what you think.


	3. Love's Protection

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

Chapter 3: Love's Protection

Three days had passed since Lisa and Marie did battle with Malcolm and Troy. During that time Lisa and Marie had been getting along very well, at times even reminiscing about the days when they were kids. There were moments when it almost seemed like the previous thirteen years had never happened. The two had also continued sleeping together in the same zipped together sleeping bag, something that Marie had been quickly getting used to it seemed. That particular morning, Marie woke up once again to find Lisa preparing something to eat.

"Well good morning." Lisa greeted with the same warm smile she had used the mornings before. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah." Marie replied as she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Is it noon again?"

"Yep, but it's not like we're in a hurry to get to Half Moon Bay." Lisa pointed out. "Besides, we should get there tomorrow. We only have to go through this one little town."

"Well, as long as I'm not slowing us down." Marie told her.

"Hungry?" Lisa asked.

"You bet." Marie said with a smile.

"Good, we'll get moving after we eat." Lisa informed her.

After they had eaten lunch, or in Marie's case breakfast, the two rode ahead on Rapidash. Before long they had come upon a small town known as Cedar Town. Right away it seemed like a quiet little community filled with little houses with red roofs. There were a few small businesses along some of the streets, but the town was far from being a place of industry. Lisa and Marie stopped in front of the sleepy little town's Pokemart, and upon dismounting Lisa called Rapidash back to its Pokeball.

"As long as we're here, I going to step into this shop for some supplies." Lisa told Marie.

"Okay, I think I'll wait outside." Marie replied.

"I won't take too long." Lisa assured her before stepping into the shop.

Marie gave a relaxed sigh as she sat down on the wooden bench in front of the Pokemart. She then looked up at the sky and thought about all that had happened since the incident at Lilycove. It seemed to Marie that things had started to go well for her, and she had before thought that they never would again.

"Well what do we have here?" a familiar voice suddenly said, causing a chill to run down Marie's spine.

Hesitantly Marie looked to her right. Standing near the bench with her arms crossed was a woman who looked to be in her late twenties to early thirties with long wild black hair, pale skin, and crazed light-blue eyes. A vertical scar ran down her left cheek, and she wore a buttoned-up brown leather vest with no shirt underneath, long black leather pants, and black boots. Though it had been years since she last saw her, Marie recognized the woman right away. It was one of her fellow inmates from Scorch Gate, Sharon.

"Never thought I'd see you again runt." Sharon said with a sinister smirk. "Word around Scorch Gate was that you died when that quake hit. I sure would like to know how you got out and ended up here."

"That's none of your business!" Marie said defiantly as she cautiously stood up. "But I would like to know how a psychopath like you got out."

"I got out last year when the cops shut that hell hole down." Sharon explained. "They finally found out about the warden selling Pokemon on the black market. But the important thing is I got out early. As for why I'm in this dull little town, you could say I'm here on business. But now it looks like I can mix in a little pleasure too."

Just as Sharon began to advance on Marie, Zoroark emerged from its Pokeball and got in front of Marie. The monster fox roared and bared its claws and fangs.

"Well, the surprises just keep coming." Sharon said unafraid. "That's not a bad friend you got there, runt. But you're not the only one with a Pokemon. Go, Toxicroak!"

Emerging from Sharon's thrown Pokeball was a dark-blue frog-like creature with a somewhat humanoid build, standing at over four feet tall. It had bight yellow eyes and a noticeable red upper lip. A large spike jutted out from the creature's forehead, and under its chin was a large red sack. The creature's three fingered hands each had a long red spike jutting out the back. It had muscular legs, and the middle toe on both its three toed feet were red.

"Quick, use Night Daze!" Marie commanded in a somewhat frightened tone.

"Too slow!" Sharon said as Zoroark raised its arms. "Use Poison Jab Toxicroak!"

Just as the red aura began to form around Zoroark, Toxicroak leapt forward with incredible speed and punched the monster fox in the stomach as the red spike on the back of it hand glowed purple. The red aura ceased to form and Zoroark looked as if it had had the wind knocked out of it.

"Now use Low Sweep!" Sharon commanded.

With incredible speed Toxicroak swung its right leg at Zoroark's legs, knocking the monster fox to the ground. Zoroark writhed in pain on the ground, causing Marie to become extremely concerned.

"Uh oh, looks like your friend got poisoned by Toxicroak's Poison Jab." Sharon observed with a cruel grin. "What're you gonna do now runt?"

Marie quickly called back Zoroark. She then reached behind her back and took hold of Darkrai's Pokeball.

"I'm really gonna enjoy this." Sharon said as she and Toxicroak began to advance on Marie.

Just as Marie was about to send out Zoroark, Phoenix leapt in and hit Toxicroak with a flaming kick. The poison frog creature tried to get up but was soon out cold.

"What the…?" Sharon began to curse.

"Hey!" Lisa called from behind Sharon. Sharon turned around and threw a punch at Lisa, but Lisa swiftly got out of the way, grabbed Sharon's arm, twisted the arm behind Sharon's back and pinned her to the ground. "I don't know who the hell you are. But come near Marie again and I'll make you sorry you ever lived! Clear?"

"Fine! Just get off!" Sharon begged.

After a moment Lisa released Sharon. Sharon got up, called back Toxicroak, and walked off cursing beneath her breath. Marie stood as if she was frozen in shock.

"Hey, you okay?" Lisa asked Marie in a worried tone as she went over to her.

"Yeah, I'm uh…" Marie trailed off.

"We should get Zoroark to a Pokemon Center." Lisa suggested. "There's one not too far away."

"…Uh, right." Marie said as she snapped out of her trance. "Let's go."

A few minutes later Lisa and Marie were sitting on a couch in the town Pokemon Center as Nurse Joy tended to Zoroark. Marie had not said a word since the incident with Sharon aside from telling Nurse Joy what had happened. This caused Lisa to become very worried.

"I'm sure Zoroark will be fine." Lisa assured Marie.

"Yeah…" Marie replied, still in a somewhat dazed tone.

"That woman back there… it seemed like she knew you." Lisa observed. "Did you?"

"Yeah, that was, uh… that was Sharon." Marie finally told her. "She was one of the inmates at Scorch Gate... Sharon and her friends would beat me up if I just looked at them wrong. One time… they broke a couple of my ribs."

"Oh Marie." Lisa said as she took Marie's hand. At the same time Marie was starting to tear up.

"I don't know why I'm crying. I mean it was years ago and…" Marie began, but she could not finish as she suddenly broke down sobbing.

Right away Lisa pulled Marie into a tight embrace. Marie continued to cry in Lisa's arms, and as she did it felt to Marie almost as if thirteen years of fear and stress had been released. Eventually Marie finally stopped crying, but Lisa did not let go of her. Marie didn't mind though. She found that she felt safe in Lisa's arms, the safest she had felt in a long time.

Eventually a woman with pinkish-red hair wearing an old style nurse's uniform walked up to the couple, and next to her was a large pink egg-shaped creature with stubby arms and stomach pouch containing a white egg. This of course was Nurse Joy and her Pokemon assistant, Chansey. Chansey was also wearing a nurse's hat, and in its arms it carried a tray with a single Pokeball on it.

"Is everything okay?" Nurse Joy asked, getting the attention of both Lisa and Marie.

"Oh, we're fine Nurse Joy." Lisa assured her.

"Well, you'll be glad to know that Zoroark is back to perfect health." Nurse Joy informed them.

Zoroark suddenly emerged from the ball on the tray and went up to Marie. Marie laughed a bit as Zoroark licked her in the face.

"I'm fine Zoroark, don't worry." Marie assured the monster fox.

"You're both welcome to stay the night." Nurse Joy informed the two. "The hour is starting to get late after all."

"Thanks, but Marie and I should get back on the road if we want to get to Half Moon Bay before tomorrow night." Lisa replied.

"In that case, we hope to see you again." Nurse Joy said with the trademark smile of her clan.

A few minutes later Lisa and Marie were back on Rapidash as they headed onward. The sun began to set over the horizon as they left the sleepy little town.

"Are you feeling better?" Lisa asked, finally breaking the silence.

"I am, actually." Marie replied. "Thank you for… protecting me before."

"I would do anything to keep you safe Marie." Lisa told her. "Especially since… it was my fault that you even met that bitch Sharon in the first place. You went through all that pain and suffering because of me. Because I…"

"Lisa stop!" Marie interrupted. "Look, I… I've thought about this a lot these past few days and… I don't blame you for what happened anymore. I realized that Andre was only using you, and I'm sure that what you did caused you about as much pain as it caused me. So… why don't we just… start over?"

"Do you mean that?" Lisa asked with a hint of hope in her voice.

"Of course." Marie answered with a small smile. "If you would like to… that is."

"…I would like that a whole lot." Lisa said with a tearful smile as she turned her head to look back at Marie. And after a moment the two kissed on the lips. "Now, let's find a place to camp out before it gets dark."

* * *

Meanwhile in an old abandoned barn outside of Cedar Town, Trapper Jack entered to see a scrawny man working on a large silvery device resembling a sort of futuristic death ray. The man in question had thinning brown hair and was wearing thick glasses, a white t-shirt with oil stains on the front, a brown leather vest, green long pant, and brown boots.

"Yew sure that gizmo of yours is gonna work Specs?" Trapper asked the scrawny mechanic.

"Don't worry boss. If Cresselia really does show up at the Lunar Festival, this baby of mine will snare her in an energy field and pull her in for us." Specs assured Trapper as he patted the device. "I just need to make a few little adjustments."

"Well it had damn well better work Specs!" Trapper warned. "Otherwise it won't be pretty fer ya."

At that moment a slightly muscular man with short read hair ran into the barn. He was wearing an outfit similar to Specs's.

"What is it Ronnie?" Trapper demanded upon seeing the redheaded man.

"Well boss, your girlfriend's back. And she's not happy." Ronnie informed him. "In fact she's also a bit drunk."

"Out of my way dumb-ass!" Sharon shouted as she pushed her way past Ronnie into the barn, knocking him to the ground in the process. She then went over to a large black box near the device Specs was working on, pulled out a large bottle of clear liquor and took a swig.

"Hey now, what's wrong sugar?" Trapper asked Sharon as he went over to her.

"I ran into this one girl I used to beat up when I was in prison." Sharon began to explain after taking another swig from the bottle. "But just when I'm about to have a little fun with her, this bitch comes along and almost pulls my arm off!"

"If yew want, we can hunt her down and teach her a lesson." Trapper suggested.

"Nah, she's not worth the trouble." Sharon told him. Besides, I'm more worried about getting rich."

"Well that won't be much trouble." Trapper assured her. "Once we bag Cresselia tomorrow we'll have all the cash we ever wanted."

"Are you sure that buyer of yours will pay what he promised?" Sharon asked.

"If he won't, I'll find someone who will." Trapper said as he pulled Sharon up to him. "In the meantime, why don't I take yew out back and take yer mind off yer bad day?"

"Sounds good to me big boy." Sharon said with a smirk.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I'm sure that many of you reading remember Sharon from Rise of Noir Mask. I had planned to bring her back in Half Moon Bay since the beginning. But it wasn't until I actually started working on this story that I had the idea to have Sharon Trapper Jack's girlfriend. Anyway, the next chapter is going to be rather steamy, and is the main reason for this story's M rating. And yes, it'll focus on Lisa and Marie.

Please review and let me know what you think.


	4. Moonlight Swim

**Author's Note:** Well, here it is, the main reason for this story's M rating. For those of you who don't like seeing this kind of stuff, feel free to skip this chapter. As for the rest of you, enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

Chapter 4: Moonlight Swim

Only twenty minutes had passed since Lisa and Marie left Cedar Town. In that time there had been little conversation between the two, but it had seemed like not much else had needed to be said in those moments. Not after the kiss that the two of them shared. As Rapidash slowly trotted down the quiet old dirt road to Half Moon Bay they came upon a gathering of tall trees. Lisa had Rapidash stop by those trees and got out the map she had been using.

"Okay, this looks like as good a place as any to camp out for the night." Lisa said after examining the map. "This little grove here is half way between Cedar Town and Half Moon Bay. If we stop here we'll be at Half Moon Bay by tomorrow afternoon."

"Sounds good." Marie agreed.

The two then dismounted and Lisa called Rapidash back to its Pokeball. The couple then began to set up camp for the night. After a few minutes Marie stood and looked into the small forest before them.

"Hey Lisa, is there anything in this little grove?" Marie asked.

"Actually, the map said there was a little waterfall in the center." Lisa answered. "If you want, we can go find it before we leave tomorrow."

"Maybe…" Marie said, not once taking her eyes off the forest. "Um, I think I'll go for a little walk. I just feel like I need to stretch my legs."

"Okay, just don't go too far, okay?" Lisa responded.

"Don't worry." Marie assured her. "I'll try not to be gone long."

With that, Lisa continued her efforts to start a campfire while Marie picked up her bag and quietly walked into the small forest. Several minutes had passed and the sun had completely set over the horizon. Only the light of the full moon and the stars gave light to the surroundings, that and the campfire that Lisa finally managed to get going. Lisa had started to get very worried that something might've happened to Marie. One dark thought she had was that Sharon had tracked Marie down and beaten her to a pulp.

Lisa decided that she couldn't wait any longer. She got up from where she was sitting and went into the forest to find Marie. Lisa found it very difficult to navigate through the forest. The tall trees blocked out the moon and stars, creating almost complete darkness. Suddenly Lisa heard a twig snap a few feet in front of her. She knew that she was not alone in the forest.

"Is someone there?" Lisa called. "Is that you Marie?"

Lisa's questions were answered when Zoroark came out of the shadows and stood before her. The monster fox's appearance startled Lisa a bit, but she calmed down when she realized who it was.

"You scared me there, big guy." Lisa told Zoroark. "Do you know where Marie is?"

After a moment, Zoroark made a short growling noise and nudged his head back. Lisa took this signal to mean that Marie was still further into the forest.

"Thanks buddy." Lisa said to Zoroark before heading on.

After a few more moments of walking, Lisa could hear the sound of flowing water. Very soon she found herself before a clearing containing a waterfall that cascaded into a small body of water that flowed out into a stream that went out of the forest. Lisa glanced around real quick, hoping to find Marie. And one of the first things she noticed on the grassy ground before the pool of water was Marie's bag. But what surprised Lisa was that Marie's cloths were lying near the bag in a discarded fashion, and laid out near the bag was a large white towel.

Lisa blushed at what the implication of these items meant. But she was soon snapped from her thoughts by the sudden sound of a splash, casing Lisa to look towards the waterfall. The sight before Lisa simply took her breath away. Marie was standing in the shallow water completely naked, her wet body given a luminescent quality by the moonlight. It was the most beautiful sight that Lisa had ever seen, and she bit her lower lip because of how turned on she was.

The more rational part of Lisa's mind was telling her to just leave and wait for Marie to finish her little moonlight swim, but Lisa was not listening to that part. Instead Lisa stripped down completely and went to join Marie. The whole Lisa was afraid of how Marie would react, but she found that she couldn't turn back. The soft splash that Lisa made as she entered the water alerted Marie to her presence.

"Lisa what…?" a startled Marie began to ask upon seeing Lisa.

"I'm sorry." Lisa began. "It… it's just… well, I started to get worried because you were gone for so long, so I came to look for you. And well… when I saw you here… like this I… I don't know what I was thinking. I'll leave and…"

"No wait!" Marie said, haling Lisa in her tracks. "You… you don't have to go."

The two gazed at each other for what almost seemed like an eternity. Marie could not take her eyes off Lisa's beautiful toned body. It was clear that Lisa kept herself in good shape. Slowly they began to move closer to each other until they were face to face. At long last Marie gave Lisa a heated kiss on the lips. After that Lisa pulled her in to a tight embrace. Both of them moaned a bit as their naked bodies touched, their breasts coming on contact with one another.

The two soon began locked in an open mouthed kiss, their tongues battling for dominance. Eventually they broke apart for air, and after a brief moment Lisa began kissing Marie's neck, causing her to give out soft moans.

"Oh my Marie." Lisa said after breaking away for more air. "You've been through so much pain these last few years. I want… to try and make you feel better."

Lisa's right hand then reached under the water and began massaging Marie's opening, causing Marie to moan a little louder. After a few moments Lisa pushed two fingers in. She waited a bit for Marie to get used to the feeling, as it was clear that it was Marie's first time. But soon enough pain turned to pleasure and Lisa continued, thrusting her fingers in and out of Marie. After a few blissful minutes Lisa could feel Marie tightening around her, and at last Marie threw her head back and gave a loud moan as she climaxed for the very first time.

Marie held tightly onto Lisa to keep herself from collapsing as she recovered from her very first orgasm. After a few moments Marie recovered some strength and began nibbling on Lisa's right ear.

"You've been through a lot of pain these last few years too, haven't you my dear Lisa?" Marie whispered into Lisa's ear.

Marie's hand then reached under the water and started massaging Lisa's opening, causing Lisa to let out a surprised gasp followed by a series of pleasure-filled moans. Before long, Marie pushed two fingers into Lisa, and then waited for Lisa to get used to the sensation. It was clear that it was Lisa's first time as well. But it was not long before Lisa's pain was replaced by pleasure and Marie continued on, thrusting her fingers in and out.

"Oh god! Harder!" Lisa begged in between moans.

Marie complied with Lisa's request, thrusting faster and deeper into her. After a few minutes Lisa finally climaxed, crying out Marie's name as she did so. Marie held onto Lisa as she recovered from her orgasm. Once Lisa had recovered she took Marie by the hand and guided her out of the water and over to the large towel that Marie had laid out earlier. Lisa then laid Marie down on the towel on her back and took a few moments to take in how beautiful Marie was. The light of the moon above gave her blond hair and wet fair skin a glowing quality that made her seem like a star.

"You're beautiful Marie." Lisa said to her. "You're like an angel."

Lisa comment caused Marie to blush fiercely. Suddenly Lisa got down and began sucking on Marie's left breast, causing her to moan. Before long Lisa's hand reached under and pushed two fingers into Marie's opening, causing Marie to let out a surprised gasp and arch her back in pleasure. Lisa continued this until Marie climaxed for the second time of the night, calling out Lisa's name as she did so. As Marie came down from her orgasm, Lisa began kissing her neck, sucking on it for a few minutes.

Before long Lisa moved from Marie's neck and began planting fiery kissed down Marie's body until she reached her opening. Lisa's tongue danced around the area a little before finally entering Marie. Marie was hoarse with pleasure as Lisa's tongue did its work inside of her. A few more blissful minutes passed before Marie climaxed into Lisa's mouth. Lisa then got up on her knees and waited for Marie to catch her breath.

Moments later Lisa grabbed the left leg of a very compliant Marie and moved it up. Still holding onto the leg, Lisa positioned herself so that her opening was touching Marie's. The two young women moaned with the contact. With that, Lisa began bucking her hips into Marie, all the while keeping hold of Marie's leg. After another blissful eternity, both of them climaxed hard at the same time.

Lisa then released Marie's leg and rolled off next to her on the towel. Marie, meanwhile, had been left completely exhausted by what they had just done. Lisa looked at Marie's bag and saw that there was another large white towel peaking out the side. Lisa reached over and pulled it over them like a blanket. The two then rolled over on their sides to face each other.

"I've never felt so content before in my life." Marie whispered. "I love you… Lisa."

Lisa smiled and kissed Marie on the forehead. The two then cuddled up close to each other and drifted off into a deep and peaceful sleep.

* * *

**Author's Note:** There you have it. I think it's safe to say that Lisa rocked Marie's world. You know I had actually thought of putting a bit at the end showing that Zoroark and perhaps Darkrai had seen what Lisa and Marie had just done, but I thought it would've ruined the kind of moment I was going for. I came really close to doing it though.

Please review and let me know what you think.


	5. The Lunar Festival

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

Chapter 5: The Lunar Festival

The next day the sun shined down on the clearing with the waterfall. The warmth of the sunlight caused Marie to slowly wake up. She did not open her eyes right away, but right away she felt that she was cuddled up next to something very soft and warm. Slowly Marie opened her eyes and saw Lisa's smiling face looking at her. In an instant Marie recalled everything that she and Lisa had done the night before, the sweet memory still very vivid in her mind.

"Good morning." Lisa greeted as she stroked Marie's cheek.

"Morning." Marie greeted back with a smile. "How long have you been gazing at me like that?"

"Only a couple minutes." Lisa answered. "I only just woke up myself. We really wore ourselves out last night, didn't we?"

"Yeah." Marie replied as she suddenly removed the towel that Lisa had used to cover them both the night before. "And I think I'd like to thank you for last night."

With that, Marie began planting fiery kisses on Lisa's neck down the length of her body until she got to Lisa's crotch. Very soon, Lisa moaned Marie's name.

* * *

In another area not too far away, a large camouflaged and armored RV plowed through another small forest on the way to Half Moon Bay, pulling behind it a trailer with a light-brown tarp over it. Many of the wild Pokemon living in the forest quickly got out of the way of the armored behemoth, lest they get flattened. Ronnie was at the wheel of the RV, with Specs sitting in the passenger seat examining what looked to be a blueprint of some sort. The vehicle jostled a bit as it ran over and snapped another small log.

"Yee haw! I love driving this thing!" Ronnie declared. "I know I've probably said this a few times before, but you did a damn good job of putting this thing together Specs."

Specs did not respond and continued examining his blueprints. After a moment he glanced up and looked at the large green monitor on the dashboard.

"Hey, looks like we'll be near Half Moon Bay in five minutes." Specs told Ronnie after examining the monitor. "You better tell the boss."

"Oh yeah." Ronnie said as he flipped a switch on the dashboard and took the microphone in hand. "Hey boss? Specs says we'll be near Half Moon Bay in five…. You read me?"

The only response over the intercom was the sounds of heavy breathing, Sharon's moans, and loud steady thumping noise as if a large object was banging against the wall of the RV. Ronnie quickly flipped the intercom switch back off.

"Aw man, I did not need to hear that this morning." Ronnie said with a look of disgust. "You know, I do not get the boss's taste in women."

"What's your problem with the boss's girl?" Specs asked, once again examining his blueprints.

"She almost twenty years younger than the boss is!" Ronnie told him. "I mean I know the boss is in good shape, but come on!"

"Well Sharon is closer to your age." Specs pointed out. "I mean maybe you'd feel better if Sharon was your girl."

"Hell no man!" Ronnie replied. "Sharon's nuts, and that's my main reason for not liking her. I mean she's crazier than the boss, and I thought there was no one on Earth crazier than Trapper Jack."

"I'd do her." Specs bluntly admitted.

"Ah, you're so desperate to get laid you'd do anybody." Ronnie retorted.

"What the hell yew idiots want!" Trapper's voice suddenly bellowed over the intercom.

"Uh, sorry boss." Ronnie quickly said through the microphone. "Just wanted to let you know that we'll be near Half Moon Bay in less than five."

"Fine, when we get there, head for that spot on the where no one will see us." Trapper ordered. "Then help Specs set up that gizmo of his. And don't bother me for the next half hour! Got it?"

"Yes boss!" Ronnie replied in a frightened tone before the intercom went off.

* * *

After a couple of hours Lisa and Marie were back on the road. The two were delayed because they had made love a couple more times. Then after they had gotten dressed they both had to round up Marie's Pokemon. Marie had sent them out the night before to keep guard while she had her little swim. It was a wise precaution for a young woman to take if she was planning to swim naked out in the woods where anyone could walk in on her. As they rode down the old dirt path on Rapidash, Marie held tightly onto Lisa's midsection and rested her head on Lisa's left shoulder, a smile was on the blonde's face.

"Hey Marie." Lisa whispered. "We're here."

Marie looked and saw that the hill they were on overlooked the town of Half Moon Bay. It was a large and prosperous looking fishing village with a large seaport next to a long white beach. The quaint houses and buildings all had roofs the color of powder blue. As the couple looked down upon the village they were hit by a gentle breeze that carried the salt air of the ocean.

"So what do you want to do first?" Lisa asked.

"I'd like to check into a hotel if they have one." Marie answered.

"Whatever you want my angel." Lisa replied with a smile. Marie blushed at what Lisa had called her.

Before long the couple had entered the town on Rapidash. As they rode through they noticed that the lampposts were all strung with yellow lanterns with green trim. All along the street were vendors selling various souvenirs for some sort of event.

"Looks like there's going to be a party or festival soon." Marie commented.

"Yeah, I wonder what the occasion is?" Lisa asked.

"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough." Marie answered.

It was not long before Lisa and Marie found a small two-story inn with wooden walls. They dismounted and Lisa called back Rapidash before they both went inside. At the front desk was an old woman with glasses and grey hair done up in a bun. She looked up from the magazine she was reading when Lisa and Marie entered.

"Ah, welcome to the Seaside Inn." The old woman greeted. "We are a little crowded because of the festival, so I'm afraid the only room left is the honeymoon suite."

"That'll be fine." Lisa and Marie said at the same time, causing them to blush a little afterward. The old woman studied them for a moment before chuckling.

"I see, well you two make quite a lovely couple." The old woman told them with a smile. "How long will you be staying?"

"A few days at least." Lisa answered. "Say, you mentioned a festival was going on. What kind of festival?"

"Oh, why the Lunar Festival of course." The old woman replied. "Every year around this time, this town is visited by Cresselia. And this festival is to celebrate her arrival."

"You say Cresselia comes to this town?" Marie asked in surprise.

"Why yes, she passes by very quickly every year at this time to check on the town." The old woman explained.

"Check on it?" Lisa asked. "You mean she protects the town?"

"In a way." The old woman answered. "It began a very long time ago. Once outside of this town there was a Darkrai that lived near by in a cave. Darkrai did not bother with the people of the town, and most folks who knew stayed as far away as possible from the cave. But though the people stayed away, a few wild Pokemon would come to the cave, and they had managed to befriend Darkrai.

"It is said that one dark day a band of greedy people from the town came and abused the Pokemon that had become Darkrai's friends, trying to capture them so they could sell them. This angered Darkrai so much that he became vengeful to the people of the town. At night it would come and cast horrible nightmares on the people. But then a Cresselia came upon the town and did battle with Darkrai, chasing it away in the end. Cresselia then put an end to the nightmares, and it is said that Cresselia spoke to the people in dreams and told them that she would come back every year to check on the town.

"And so the town changed its name to Half Moon Bay, and every year since that time Cresselia passes over the town to make sure that Darkrai has not come back to cause trouble. In fact, Cresselia's appearance is supposed to be tonight at midnight. They say you can see her best by the docks. I'm sure most of the people celebrating will be there tonight. But listen to an old woman like me prattle on. I'll show you to your room now."

Finished with her tale, the old woman got out from behind the front desk and led Lisa and Marie to a room on the second floor at the end of the hall. It was a large room, well furnished with a window overlooking the town. The most noticeable piece of furniture in the room was a very large white bed with white frilly sheets and pillows.

"I'll let you two settle in." The old woman said to them. "Enjoy you stay here."

With that the old woman left the room, closing the door behind her. Lisa and Marie then began unpacking their things.

"So I guess that Cresselia we saw a few nights ago is the one in that story we heard." Lisa assumed. "You don't suppose that your Darkrai is the one from the legend, do you?"

"Who knows?" Marie said with a shrug. "There are legends of Darkrai and Cresselia all over Sinnoh. It's said that a Darkrai and Cresselia live on separate islands near Canalave City."

"So there's more than one of each then?" Lisa asked.

"It's very possible." Marie told her.

"Well, whatever the case, I'm glad we ran into the Cresselia that lives around here." Lisa replied. "You seem like you've been sleeping better since we saw her."

"I have actually." Marie admitted. "When I looked at her that night, it seemed like she was staring right into me. Then I felt as if something washed over me. I still don't know what it was, but it felt good, some how soothing."

"I guess we got really lucky seeing her that night." Lisa assumed. "So do you want to check this place out?"

"You bet." Marie said with a smile.

* * *

After Lisa and Marie left the inn, they had gone around to the various shops and had checked out all the events of the Lunar Festival. The whole town had become a bustle of activity. People young and old, children of all ages, had come out to celebrate the yearly arrival of Cresselia. After awhile evening had come, and Lisa and Marie went into a small restaurant to have dinner. During the course of the meal it had occurred to the two that they had technically gone on their very first date.

But the evening's festivities had yet to come to an end. Midnight was approaching, and people had begun to gather at the docks to watch for Cresselia's arrival. Lisa and Marie had of course come to watch as well.

"Looks like almost the entire town has come out for this" Marie observed as she and Lisa scanned the crowed while holding hands.

"Well, it is a big event." Lisa pointed out. "How close is it to midnight?"

"It should be very soon now." Marie answered.

Almost as soon as Marie said that, the sound of the town clock tower began to ring through the village. After it had sounded twelve times the crowed fell silent and looked out over the sea for several minutes. Suddenly a fast moving speck of light could be seen zooming towards the town. Within a matter of moments Creselia was hovering over the crowed, looking them all over. Everyone gazed up in awe at the glowing swan.

"It certainly is beautiful." Marie commented.

"Almost as beautiful as you." Lisa added, causing Marie to blush.

Without warning a blast of red lighting shot forth and surrounded Cresselia, startling everyone in the crowed. Cresselia cried out as the beam of energy began pulling it away.

"What's going on?" Lisa asked.

"I think that should be obvious my dear Lisa." Marie told her. "Someone is using the festival as an opportunity to try and capture Cresselia."

* * *

**Author's Note:** So as you might've guessed, we're getting very close to the climax of this story. You know the implication I made in this chapter about there being more than one Darkrai and Cresselia is something that the anime has implied a few times. There was the Darkrai from the movie, and the Darkrai that terrorized Canalave City in that one episode. Then of course there was the Darkrai used by that one trainer during the Sinnoh League. And on a completely different note there was that baby Lugia and its mother that appeared in those two Whirl Island episodes.

Please review and let me know what you think.


	6. Full Moon and New Moon

**Author's Note:** Here it is, the final chapter. It seems like a lot of my stories lately have been pretty short. But then when you add this story up to the chapters of Rise of Noir Mask and Revenge of Noir Mask, this whole project has been twenty chapters long. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed reading.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

Chapter 6: Full Moon and New Moon

Chaos had erupted over the docks of Half Moon Bay as beams of red electricity were pulling Cresselia away to an unknown location. Many of the people in the crowed merely looked up and stared helplessly at the site as if they were watching a train wreck. Lisa and Marie on the other hand were looking in the direction that the beam had come from. The two nodded to each other before quickly exiting the crowed. Once out, Lisa sent out Rapidash and the two mounted the fiery steed in the direction of the energy beam.

"Who do you think is doing this?" Lisa asked. "You don't think it's Team Rocket, do you?"

"It could be anyone. After all, Cresselia is a rare and Legendary Pokemon." Marie answered. "I don't think she's the kind anyone could use for world domination, but I'm sure there are many who would pay a fortune to have Cresselia for themselves."

"Well whoever they, I'm sure we'll find them if we follow Cresselia." Lisa replied. "Hold on tight! We'll be going pretty fast!"

Marie clung tighter onto Lisa's midsection as Rapidash picked up speed. They chased down the beach after the captured Cresselia as the red beams continued to pull it away. Before long they could see Trapper Jack's armored RV in the distance. When they got close enough Lisa had Rapidash go up onto a nearby hill where they could watch in secret. Atop the hill they saw Specs operating the controls of the large death ray-like device that was pulling Cresselia in.

After a few moments the device had pulled Cresselia up close and held the lunar swan suspended in the air with its beams. Soon after, Trapper emerged from the side door of the RV.

"I wonder who the big scary guy with the muscles is?" Lisa inquired.

"I've seen his picture a few times at Team Rocket HQ. He's known as Trapper Jack." Marie answered. "He's a professional big game hunter, selling rare Pokemon for whoever will pay the highest price."

"Nice guy." Lisa said sarcastically.

"Did you notice the scars on his body?" Marie asked. "It's been reported that Trapper Jack got those scars while fighting a wild Ursaring with his bare hands. He's not someone to be taken lightly."

"Well neither are we." Lisa pointed out with a confident smile. "I've fought tougher looking guys than this Trapper Jack, and you were the most feared member of Team Rocket. He should be a piece of cake."

"You have a point there." Marie agreed as a smile came to her face. Meanwhile down by the RV, Trapper approached the captured Cresselia.

"Well now, looks like that gizmo of yours actually worked Specs." Trapper said with an evil grin.

"What I'd tell ya boos?" Specs responded proudly.

"Alright now, let's get the hell outta here." Trapper declared. "Ronnie! Get out here and help Specs hook our catch up to the RV, quick!"

"I don't think so." Lisa said quietly. "Go Entei! Destroy that machine with Extrasensory!"

Entei emerged from Lisa's thrown ball with a roar and charged down from the hill. Its eyes glowed with a yellow light as it fired a yellow beam from its forehead crest. The blast hit the machine, surprising Trapper and Specs. Black smoke poured up from the broken device and the beams holding Cresselia ceased. Entei then got in front of Cresselia and growled at Trapper.

"My, oh my, I sure wasn't expectin' this." Trapper said as he eyed Entei. "Looks like we have ourselves a bonus."

"What's an Entei doing here?" Specs asked as Ronnie emerged from the RV to see what was happening.

"Who cares? We'll nab 'em both and make more cash than before." Trapper told him.

"Over my dead body!" Lisa called down, causing Trapper, Specs, and Ronnie to look up at the hill to see Lisa and Marie on Rapidash.

"What the hell is going on out here?" Sharon shouted as she emerged from the RV. Sharon looked up and saw Lisa and Marie on the hill and was surprised to see them. Both Lisa and Marie were surprised to see Sharon there as well. "You've got to be kidding me! The runt and her bitch friend from yesterday are here?"

"Yew sayn' that they're the ones yew ran yesterday sugar?" Trapper asked Sharon.

"Sugar?" both Lisa and Marie repeated with expressions of disgust.

"That's right, Trapper here is my boyfriend." Sharon told them. "And together we're going to get rich selling Cresselia."

"Cresselia and Entei." Trapper corrected. "But with Specs's gizmo fried, it looks I'm gonna have to do this hard way. Go Krookodile!"

Emerging from the Pokeball that Trapper threw out was a large red crocodile-like creature with black stripes and a white underside. It stood on its hind legs and had well developed arms. Around its eyes was a black mask-like shape that gave one the impression that it was wearing sunglasses.

"Trap Entei and Cresselia with Sand Tomb!" Trapper commanded.

Krookodile roared and breathed out a storm of sand that became a twister and surrounded both Entei and Cresselia, but in an instant Cresselia few up out of the twister and few around to the side.

"What the hell?" Trapper exclaimed.

"Cresselia's Levitate ability makes it immune to Ground-type moves." Marie called down. "But I wouldn't expect a dumb ape like you to know that."

Before Trapper could say anything, Cresselia fired a beam of light from her forehead resembling an aurora. The beam hit Krookodile in the chest, causing it to cry out.

"Blast through with Flamethrower Entei!" Lisa commanded.

From the twister of sand burst forth a stream of fire that hit Krookodile in the chest. Cresselia added to the attack with another blast of light from her forehead.

"I'm putting an end to this!" Marie declared. "Go Darkrai!"

Darkrai emerged from the Pokeball onto the battlefield. The battle froze for a moment as Darkrai looked around. The shadowy Pokemon's eye stopped on Sharon.

"That, that eye!" Sharon said with an expression of terror as she pointed a shaking hand at Darkrai. "I've seen that eye before at Scorch Gate, watching me!"

With incredible speed, Darkrai suddenly moved directly in front of Sharon. Sharon let out a scream and backed against the nearby wall of the RV.

"You remember my friend, don't you Sharon?" Marie called down. "That Darkrai was living in the caves beneath Scorch Gate. It became my friend and protector, and because of that it doesn't like you very much."

"H-how?" a terrified Sharon asked. "Why would a strong Pokemon like that bother with a runt like you?"

"Because Marie was an angel forced to live among demons like you." Lisa told her. "She's the kindest person I know, so kind that I'm not surprised that a powerful Pokemon like Darkrai would want to protector."

"End this Darkrai!" Marie commanded. "Dark Void!"

Darkrai raised its arms in the air, and between its hands formed a ball of black energy. Faster than Trapper or anyone could react, Darkrai threw the ball, which split apart and knocked out Sharon, Trapper, Krookodile, Specs, and Ronnie, casting them into a deep, dark sleep. The sand twister surrounding Entei vanished, allowing Lisa to call Entei back to its ball. Darkrai and Cresselia meanwhile, hovered in the air facing each other. It looked as if the two were having a sort of stare down.

"Are those two going to fight?" Lisa asked Marie.

"It seems like they might." Marie answered, not once taking her eyes off the two Pokemon.

After a few tense moments, Cresselia finally took her eyes off Darkrai and looked at Lisa and Marie. She then looked back at Darkrai for a moment, and then zoomed over Trapper Jack and his gang, sprinkling them with some sort of powder. The lunar sawn then zoomed away into the night, going out further and further over the ocean until she was but a speck of light in the distance lost among the stars. Darkrai then suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.

"You did well my friend. Get some rest." Marie said to Darkrai as she called it back to its Pokeball.

"Is it just me, or did Darkrai look like it didn't want to fight Cresselia?" Lisa observed.

"It did seem that way." Marie agreed. "You know I've been thinking about all the legends of Darkrai and Cresselia that I've heard, and in all of them Cresselia manages to chase Darkrai off, even in the story of Half Moon Bay. That never really made sense to me, because in a battle Darkrai would have the advantage of both type and power. But knowing my Darkrai the way I do, I think the reason that Cresselia always chases Darkrai off is because Darkrai doesn't really want to fight."

"What about the Darkrai in the Half Moon Bay story?" Lisa pointed out. "That one seemed to want to fight."

"Yes, but that Darkrai wanted to attack the people of Half Moon Bay, not Cresselia." Marie reminded her. "I think that perhaps Cresselia might have calmed that Darkrai."

"Well, whatever the reason, we should make sure that Trapper Jack and that bitch Sharon are picked up by the cops." Lisa told her. "Then after that we should go back to the inn."

"Great idea, it's been a long night." Marie agreed.

* * *

Not long after Cresselia had left, the police arrived on the beach. Lisa and Marie explained to them what happened and Trapper Jack and his gang were quickly taken into custody. After that Lisa and Marie went back to their room at the inn for a good night's sleep.

"It was nice of the woman who runs this inn to let us stay for free." Marie said as she put on a white nightgown she had in her bag.

"Yeah, of course it's not like we couldn't pay for our stay here." Lisa pointed out from the bathroom as she brushed her teeth. "But I guess she and the other town's people are pretty grateful for what we did."

"Well, we did save their town hero." Marie reminded Lisa as she finished getting ready for bed.

"Yeah, I wonder if we'll get some kind of commendation for that?" Lisa inquired.

"Who knows?" Marie replied as she flopped down on the bed on her back. "Wow… this bed is really comfortable!"

"How long has it been since you slept in a good bed?" Lisa asked in a somewhat worried tone.

"Oh, I had a good bed in my apartment in Celadon City." Marie answered. "But I never really used it much because of my little sleeping problem. Plus I was out on some mission for Team Rocket half the time."

"Well I'm sure glad that's all over with." Lisa said as she emerged from the bathroom wearing only a black t-shirt and white panties. Marie sat up a bit and looked at Lisa with a pleased expression when she saw her. "Like what you see?"

"Oh, if I wasn't so worn out you wouldn't believe what I'd do to you." Marie said with a rather seductive smile.

"You can show me tomorrow morning." Lisa said as she got on the bed and kissed Marie on the lips. "Right now let's get some sleep. Goodnight my angel."

"Goodnight my darling." Marie said back.

Lisa then pulled the blanket over them both and the two cuddled up together. It was not long before the couple had drifted off to sleep. As the light of the full moon streamed through the window, Cresselia suddenly zoomed up and looked in on Lisa and Marie for a moment. Seeing that they were doing well, Cresselia zoomed off back into the night.

FIN

* * *

**Author's Note:** So there you have it, the end of the Noir Mask Trilogy. When I first started this little Pokemon AU of mine I never imagined I'd be doing this trilogy. But as I think I said before, Marie ended up taking on a life of her own, and by extension so did Lisa I guess. These three stories probably aren't my best work, but they have been fun to do. I'd like to thank everyone who's stuck with this trilogy from the beginning, as well as everyone who came in during the middle.

This won't be the last we've seen of Lisa and Marie though, they'll show up again. For those of you reading who liked seeing Marie as Noir Mask, I would like to point out that there is a ten-year gap between Rise of Noir Mask and Revenge of Noir Mask. There is a story that I plan to do that takes place during that gap, in which Marie will have a brief but hopefully memorable appearance as her alter ego. But other than that, Lisa and Marie will continue to appear together as a couple. In fact they're going to show up in my next Pokemon story.

Lisa and Marie will return with Ash, Misty, and my OC, Bolt Hanson, in a tale of shocking horror: **Dawn of Shadows**

In the meantime, please review and let me know what you think.


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